Starting Fresh
by sgtat
Summary: The fledgling SG1 runs into a little trouble offworld.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Starting Fresh, Part 1

Author: sgtat

Season: One

Related Episodes/Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I have no ownership in the Stargate franchise. If I did, I would not be writing fan fiction.

Characters: Jack O'Neill

Pairings: None

Category: Light Adventure

Rating: T

Summary: Jack leads the team in search of Daniel.

**Author's Note:** This series of stories was written in response to a challenge to use the first and last sentences provided for each character.

Jack looked down at the tangled and bloodied scraps of material he had clutched tightly in one hand. They were the only evidence of his missing team member, and they'd searched the area thoroughly. Even Teal'c couldn't find footprints to follow on the solid rock slabs, and the blood where they had found the scraps did not continue to form a trail. It was like he had just vanished. Jack shook his head. He should have known Daniel wouldn't stay in sight like he was ordered. The impetuous archeologist had probably caught a glimpse of something old-looking and was gone before the others could notice. This was becoming a habit.

"Carter!"

Jack didn't need to turn around to know his second in command had stopped short in her search and twisted around to look at him.

"From now on, one of us is staying with Daniel at all times."

"Yes sir," was the brisk reply and Jack knew she was already back to her task. That was one driven woman. It didn't matter what she was doing, she went at it full-throttle. Like Daniel, but different. Daniel was swept away by the mysteries of the universe, following wherever they led him . . . including away from the safety of his teammates. Carter's style was more intense and purposeful. This much Jack had already figured out about his two scientists. And Teal'c? Jack glanced at the buff man with the snake in his gut, scanning the horizon suspiciously, and couldn't help grinning. Teal'c was all man. Silent, focused, serious, deadly, detached . . . the guy had the military bearing down pat, and then some. As if sensing Jack's regard, Teal'c turned to look at him, raising his eyebrow. Jack looked away hastily, and the material he still held in his hand sobered him quickly.

"Daniel, where the heck are you?" He muttered to himself, continuing his own search of the area. Of course, he knew what had happened. Daniel had wandered away and gotten himself in trouble and injured. Probably attacked by the locals, if there were any, or the wildlife if there weren't. They would eventually find him, they'd get him out of whatever mess he'd gotten into, and they'd all go home. Only problem was, there was a rogue factor in that nice, clean equation, namely that Daniel had disappeared pretty much without a trace.

"O'Neill!"

Teal'c's voice pulled Jack from his thoughts. He loped over to the big man, vaguely registering that Carter had taken a knee and was alert, holding her weapon at low-ready. Maybe she had more experience in ground missions than he thought.

Teal'c waited for O'Neill to reach him, keeping perfectly still but not taking cover. Jack pulled up even with him.

"What've you got?"

Teal'c pointed across the rock-covered area toward the woods. "There is smoke rising just beyond that hill."

Jack squinted into the distance. He looked at Teal'c. Teal'c looked at him. Jack grabbed his binoculars and scanned the hill's outline. Then he saw it. A steady, but very thin stream of smoke. Jack lowered his binoculars and found that once he knew where it was, he could see it without the device. Barely.

"Good eye, Teal'c," he said, replacing his binoculars. He waved Carter over and she responded promptly, looking around as she approached them. Huh. Yep, definitely more experienced than he'd thought. Certainly not conversant in field work – her actions weren't fluid or natural – but she basically knew what to do and she was doing it, which was more than he had expected, even after their recent mission to Chulak. He noticed Teal'c watching him watch Carter and gave the man a pat on the shoulder. Teal'c looked at his shoulder with a deep frown before returning his gaze to Jack. Apparently a friendly slap on the shoulder was not normal in Jaffa culture. Jack met the man's gaze with a blank expression. Somehow this seemed to satisfy Teal'c, who blinked several times as he returned his gaze to the column of smoke, his frown lifting a bit into a more thoughtful expression.

"Sir?" Carter quietly alerted Jack to her proximity just before reaching the two men. Jack pointed off toward the hillside carelessly.

"Teal'c spotted some smoke. Let's check it out." The three teammates moved out in single file, Jack in the lead, tucking the scraps of Daniel's uniform into a vest pocket. Teal'c and Carter fumbled a bit before Carter stubbornly stood her ground, Teal'c finally going before her, one eyebrow raised and head tilted slightly. Jack glanced over his shoulder and felt a prick of amusement. Of course as a brand new team it was probably best for the newest member of SG-1 to be flanked by the two USAF officers; they could keep a better eye on him while they were still figuring out how he reacted in various situations. Teal'c, though, probably felt that, as the stronger, more experienced warrior, he should take the rear, the better to protect the young, relatively inexperienced Captain. Jack had to hand it to her. If she could stand up to Teal'c and have the big man back down, she was no pussy cat.

Jack glanced back again a few minutes later, as they neared the tree-line. Teal'c walked just a few paces behind him, looking very alert but not glancing around much. Carter had fallen a little ways behind Teal'c but was keeping pace, weapon still at the low ready, tense eyes everywhere but the trail in front of her. She was nervous. So, maybe not as experienced in the field as he had begun to think. Jack turned his attention back to where he was going. He'd only glanced at the Captain's service record between the Chulak mission and this one. That whole fiasco with Kowalski had kept him from a good study of all his teammates' pasts. He'd have to take a good thorough look at Carter's personnel file when they got back from this mission, not to mention sit down for a long chat with Daniel and Teal'c. No more guessing, no more surprises.

The loud crack that rang out through the quiet of the forest and the flash of fire that broke off a think tree branch ahead of them was certainly a surprise. Jack scrambled at a low run to the nearest tree and took cover. He saw Carter do the same and gave her a quick nod of approval. Teal'c, however, just stood where he was, staff weapon at the ready, out in the open and a relatively easy target. The guy didn't even take a knee.

"Teal'c!" Jack hissed to get the big man's attention. He gestured for the Jaffa to take cover like him and Carter, and Teal'c complied as if a light bulb had gone off. Obviously Jaffa defensive tactics were not quite the same as theirs. Teal'c took up a position behind a tree near Jack's.

"You know what that was?" Jack asked quietly.

"A weapon," Teal'c answered.

Jack glared at him. "I figured that! Do you know what kind of weapon?"

"I do not."

"Great," Jack muttered. The forest was quiet again. "Alright, let's move forward. Use the trees for cover as you go. We'll do something called a buddy rush. Watch me and Carter and do the same."

Teal'c nodded with what may have been curiosity. Jack signaled Carter, who proceeded to run forward and past Jack's position for about 3 second's count before stopping abruptly behind another tree. Jack then leapfrogged her in the same style. Jack gave Teal'c an impatient wave and Teal'c jogged past awkwardly a few seconds later. Jack shook his head. You were supposed to run in a buddy rush, not jog. Carter dashed past him again and they continued like this for several minutes before Jack finally held up a hand to stop. The three teammates quietly caught their breath, watching and listening for signs of danger. There were none. Jack waved his teammates to him.

"Let's proceed normally but with caution," he ordered quietly. "Teal'c, take point. Carter, after Teal'c."

Carter gave him a surprised look but swiftly squelched it, falling in behind Teal'c. She remained several paces back so she could see past the tall, wide Jaffa, and Jack brought up the rear. They were already part-way up the hill, thanks to their buddy rushing adventure, and it was getting steeper. They made it to the top without incident, where Teal'c paused. Jack caught up to him and Carter kept an eye on their surroundings.

"I believe the smoke I witnessed earlier was originating from that structure," Teal'c announced, pointing to a small cabin-like building, almost invisible through the trees. It was located less than half-way down the hill. There was no smoke rising from the building, but Jack could smell it and figured the fire must've been put out recently.

"Alright. Let's go." Jack took the lead and Teal'c followed stiffly. Jack didn't bother checking if Carter was with them. They made it to the cabin, Jack pausing several yards away to let the others catch up with him. Carter again took up a defensive position, turning slightly away from her teammates to keep an eye out for danger.

"Carter, you stay here and keep an eye out. Anything looks suspicious, whistle or something. Teal'c, you and I will go check out the cabin. Just . . . try to do what I do."

Jack saw Carter smile as she looked away, while Teal'c raised an eyebrow again. Hmmm. So the Captain had a sense of humor, after all. Thank goodness. He could use an ally against the ever-earnest archeologist and stoic Jaffa. He shook his head as he and Teal'c crept forward cautiously. At least the Jaffa seemed to be following his lead, crouching a bit as they moved forward. They reached the cabin and Jack pressed his back against the wall, Teal'c quickly imitating him. Jack could just make out Carter's blond head a little ways from him, the rest of her well-hidden. He barely stopped himself from slipping into his old black ops routine. Teal'c wouldn't know what to do. Jack frowned as he crept toward the corner of the building. How the heck had he landed up on another planet with a strange alien and a green Captain as back-up, looking for an even greener archeologist? He turned the corner, sideling up next to what appeared to be a fairly standard door. He could have slapped himself. What had he been thinking? Going out into unknown, possibly very dangerous territory with this rag-tag, rookie team?

Of course, he thought, keeping a sharp eye on the woods as he waited for Teal'c to catch up to him, they'd worked very well together so far, all things considering. He felt Teal'c near him and quickly entered the building, hoping Teal'c would get the hint. Jack swung his weapon up as he entered, moving swiftly to the far corner of the room as his eyes swept around the single-room building looking for enemies. The room was empty. Good thing, too, because Teal'c came in and stood right in the doorway. Jack shook his head again. He should have briefed the Jaffa on how to clear a room before they'd approached the cabin. He moved to the door to signal Carter that they were all right, and saw her break cover to take up a defensive position closer to the cabin. He turned back and re-entered the building. Teal'c was standing in the middle of the room.

"O'Neill, I do not believe Daniel Jackson is here."

Jack stopped. "Yeah, I know. But there might be clues around here. Or the owner of this fine establishment might come home and be able to give us some information. Let's take a look around, see if there's anything interesting."

Jack watched as Teal'c frowned but began puttering around the room . . . if a Jaffa could putter. Jack glanced back out the door to see Carter lying in a prone position behind a shrub just a few yards away. At least he didn't have to teach them all everything. He realized with a sudden clarity that that's what he had been doing the entire mission. Teaching. For all Carter's training and Teal'c's experience and Daniel's expertise, none of them knew the first thing about real covert ground operations. He might as well have been teaching a bunch of raw recruits. He turned back to Teal'c and realized that he had somehow subconsciously planned on it all along, ever since he'd lobbied for Daniel to be on the team, or pushed Carter through the Stargate, or visited Teal'c in his quarters. That he'd have to train his new team practically from the ground up hadn't been a surprise to him and so he almost hadn't noticed he was doing it. Pausing at the doorway the truth of it hit him, this was exactly how he'd always known it would happen.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Starting Fresh, Part 2

Author: sgtat

Season: One

Related Episodes/Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I have no ownership in the Stargate franchise. If I did, I would not be writing fan fiction.

Characters: Teal'c

Pairings: None

Category: Light Cultural Differences and Interrogation

Rating: T

Summary: Teal'c notices differences between Jaffa and human tactics.

Jaffa were trained to avoid such things and once again Teal'c found his instincts warring with the actions of the Tau'ri. To await the return of a potential enemy seemed not only foolish, but a waste of valuable time. If he were leading a contingent of Jaffa warriors, he would have ordered several squads to search for said potential enemy and bring them before him at his camp, which he would lose no time in establishing. Then the interrogation would begin.

However, he was not leading a contingent of Jaffa warriors. He was, in fact, the only Jaffa warrior present, and he was leading no one. And three people were hardly a contingent.

Teal'c took a moment to observe O'Neill make a preliminary sweep of the building. The Tau'ri warrior took in anything of potential importance, keeping one hand on his P-90 and watching the door out of the corner of his eye. He frowned at Teal'c.

"What's the matter?"

Teal'c tilted his head. "Nothing."

Jack stopped what he was doing and blinked at Teal'c. Teal'c merely met his gaze with a calm expression.

"You going to help me, or what?"

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. He took up his own search of the cabin, letting his eyes roam freely and he stalked about the small space, staff weapon in hand. Teal'c could see Jack shake his head.

Teal'c knew he had much to learn of the Tau'ri. In some ways, there was little difference between them and his own people, but these humans were exceedingly foreign to Teal'c, a man who had traveled to countless planets in the service of his former god, who had seen more things and met more peoples than he could keep track of. The Tau'ri were different. They were no slaves, nor were they accustomed to being so. And they not only had the will, but the means to resist such a fate. It may seem strange to Teal'c to linger in the cabin, but this was O'Neill, the man Teal'c knew could lead a war against the Goa'uld. For this reason, Teal'c remained silent.

A bird chirped outside. A strange bird. Teal'c ceased all movement and listened. It sounded again. It did not quite sound like a bird. Captain Carter must have seen something suspicious.

"O'Neill," he whispered. O'Neill nodded and took cover on one side of the door. Teal'c did the same on the other side. They made eye contact as they waited, tense and alert. O'Neill's face was impassive, his eyes calm, jaw firm but not clenched. He was an experienced warrior, like Teal'c.

The door to the cabin opened and Teal'c grabbed the intruder by the throat. It was a young man, not yet fully mature. He dropped the plant life he was holding and grasped at Teal'c's massive hand in panic, gasping, eyes wide.

"Teal'c! Let him go!"

Teal'c looked at O'Neill, taken aback. The Tau'ri warrior had his gun trained on the young man, yet he was looking at Teal'c aghast. Teal'c let go.

The young man fell to his knees, clutching his throat and breathing heavily. Teal'c felt a twinge of discomfort as O'Neill bent and grasped the man's elbow.

"You alright?" He asked with a little concern, glancing briefly at Teal'c. The young man took a deep breath and nodded. He looked at O'Neill, glancing nervously at Teal'c.

O'Neill released the man's arm and straightened, backing up a pace, both hands resting casually on his gun. Teal'c quirked an eyebrow in interest. Though he had shown immediate mercy and sympathy toward their captive, O'Neill was by no means incautious.

"What's your name?"

"Ezak," was the hoarse reply. The young man stood up, eyes shifting between O'Neill and Teal'c.

"Sorry about that. You caught us off guard."

Interesting. The Tau'ri was lying. For what purpose? To defend his actions? To reassure the prisoner?

"You are in my house," Ezak pointed out quietly.

"True," O'Neill answered, where Teal'c would've broken in with a harsh "Silence!" Did the Tau'ri not know how to extract information from prisoners?

"Listen, we didn't mean any harm. We saw the smoke from your cabin, thought we'd have a look. Nobody was home." Ezak continued regarding the two men with fear. O'Neill sighed. "Look, we're actually trying to find a friend of ours. He got separated from us and now we don't know where he is. We thought maybe you would know something about that."

Ezak frowned and shook his head. "I have not seen anyone else but you these two days."

Teal'c felt this too significant to ignore. "For what reason have you remained in solitude?"

The young man was started to hear him speak, and seemed to shrink away.

"Please, I am a forester. I live here, alone. The village is many miles to the west. I do not visit there often, and they seldom come here."

"Why?" O'Neill cut in, his features and stance relaxed. Ezak seemed comforted by this.

"It is the duty of the foresters to protect the village from the dangers of the land. I know this land, and I know how to travel it safely. The villagers do not. They come only for aid, if they are under attack, or are otherwise in need of the foresters' aid."

O'Neill frowned, his eyes taking on a subtly concerned air. "The dangers of the land?"

"Yes," Ezak nodded. "The Shir'ke."

Teal'c stiffened. "Shir'ke?"

Ezak nodded and O'Neill gave him a questioning look. He wished for an explanation, Teal'c realized.

"The Shir'ke are well known among the Goa'uld. They are creatures without fear, who hunt all human-form beings."

O'Neill stared at him impassively. "For what purpose?"

"Some are taken as slaves, some killed for sport, and others are consumed."

O'Neill grimaced. "Not what I wanted to hear," he said, turning back to Ezak. Teal'c raised his eyebrow.

"I had no way to determine beforehand what you wished communicated to you, O'Neill. I apologize."

O'Neill blinked at him.

"Ezak," he said without responding to Teal'c, "Is it possible one of these 'Sure-key' things got to our friend?"

"It is," Ezak confirmed, "but I cannot know for certain. Could he simply have become lost?"

O'Neill pulled out the scraps of Daniel Jackson's uniform and showed them to Ezak. The young man looked them over and met O'Neill's eyes with regret. "Yes, it was probably the Shir'ke. See the blood stains? They are turning green; the Shir'ke inject their prey with a venom that paralyzes them immediately. This causes dried blood to change its color."

O'Neill looked somewhat disgusted. "You say you know how to navigate this land safely; I'm guessing you know how to avoid these Sure-Things?"

Ezak nodded. "Yes, the foresters are trained to see the signs of the Shir'ke's presence, and to fight them on behalf of the village."

O'Neill indicated himself and Teal'c. "Would we be able to hold out against these guys?"

"No," Ezak replied emphatically. "Not if you do not know them well."

O'Neill was silent for a moment, considering. In Jaffa culture, such hesitation would be deemed great weakness. Many Jaffa had lost their places to underlings for such indecision.

"Can you help us?"

Teal'c tilted his head at O'Neill. The Tau'ri had requested the aid of a prisoner. He frowned. Such a thing was unheard of in the service of the Goa'uld. Services were not requested; they were demanded.

"Yes," Ezak replied after a brief pause. "I will help you find your friend. If he is a prisoner of the Shir'ke, it is my duty to attempt to free him, though he is a stranger to me."

Teal'c waxed thoughtful. A prisoner volunteering to help when not threatened with his life or the lives of his people was also unheard of in the service of the Goa'uld. People obeyed out of fear, because they were forced to do so, not because they were asked politely. Teal'c considered his position. Perhaps he could learn even more from the Tau'ri than he had thought. He would not forget his own ways; he would, in fact, attempt to teach them to O'Neill, but the Tau'ri warrior Teal'c had placed all his hopes in had just achieved what Teal'c had not even considered. Though he remained true to his warrior heritage, his heart believed it had found the path which he was destined to follow.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Starting Fresh, Part 3

Author: sgtat

Season: One

Related Episodes/Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I have no ownership in the Stargate franchise. If I did, I would not be writing fan fiction.

Characters: Daniel Jackson

Pairings: None

Category: Light Adventure and Wumping

Rating: T

Summary: Daniel must confront the Shir'ke.

He could try to cross the clearing alone, Daniel thought, though the twisted and torn ankle would make him a pretty easy target. Daniel shuddered. He still wasn't quite sure what had happened. One minute he'd been checking out a pile of rocks that looked purposefully stacked by an intelligent being, the next he was waking up with his face in the dirt and a pain in his ankle that had him groaning out loud. He'd found himself alone in the woods, but not for long. A creature had approached. Daniel thought it looked like an illustration he'd once seen of Beor, the bear-man from the Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, his favorite of the Icelandic tales as a child. The creature had held in his hand what appeared to be a gun of some sort – weapon, Daniel corrected himself mentally. How many times had Jack told him since he'd come back from Abydos. Gun and weapon mean different things to a military man. Maybe he should start cataloguing military terms like a foreign language.

Daniel shook his head a little to clear it. He'd been spacing out intermittently ever since he'd escaped, and now here he was lost, hurt, alone and probably being pursued by frightening aliens, daydreaming about military terminology. Too bad his radio had been smashed somewhere along the way. He could have called for help – no, back-up – like Jack had reminded him to do if he needed anything during the mission. Of course, Jack had also told him to do exactly what he was told on missions or he'd be off the team. This time Jack had told him to stay in sight. Daniel started to consider a strategy for getting on one of the other teams if Jack kicked him off SG-1 until he realized he was spacing again. Fed up with his lack of concentration, Daniel took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing.

He looked around him furtively as he walked, the alien weapon clutched in his sweaty hands. He couldn't believe he'd managed to twist the weapon away from the bear-like creature. He thought he must have taken it by surprise; it wasn't expecting him to try to escape. Not that his aim was any good. He'd figured out how to fire the thing surprisingly quickly, but his shot had disappeared into the woods with a loud crack, and in the distance he could just make out a brief burst of fire where he hit a thick tree branch. Still, the alien had left him alone and with a gun – weapon. That was two points better than before, Daniel thought with some satisfaction as he limped his way across the clearing. He had seen smoke by the hillside several minutes earlier and though it was gone now, he headed in that direction. Intelligent beings made fires. He only hoped it wasn't the bear-aliens.

Daniel winced as he tripped over a molehill – or whatever they had on this planet that burrowed in the ground. He caught himself on his bad ankle and had to stop for a minute to catch his breath from the pain it caused. He wondered how bad it was. His pant leg was torn up, and even the incredibly sturdy black military boots he wore hadn't protected his ankle from the strength of a Beor, or the creature's incredibly sharp claws. It suddenly occurred to Daniel that he should have tried to bandage his injury, but it was too late now. The sun was beginning to set, it was getting cold out, and he was in the middle of a meadow. He plunged on toward the tree-line, stumbling as he walked but making progress nonetheless. He could already hear Jack's 'I told you so', and he vowed to himself that next time he would do as he was told and stay in sight of his teammates. Because he was determined that there would be a next time.

Daniel heard movement behind him and swung around awkwardly. He raised the weapon he held as an afterthought, scanning the clearing with wide, unblinking eyes. Nothing. He turned back around and continued forward. His breathing sounded loud in the quiet of dusk. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and stopped again. He listened intently, holding his breath, eyes moving rapidly but the rest of his body perfectly still. A moment passed. Nothing. Daniel licked his lips and thought over his situation. What should he do? He could try running across what remained of the clearing, but he doubted his bad foot would allow him to go very fast. He heard another noise to his right and his head jerked reflexively in that direction. A Beor stood a short distance away from him, also holding a weapon.

Daniel considered his options. He couldn't run away, he couldn't aim straight – he'd have to talk to Jack about that when they got back – he couldn't even think straight at the moment. Daniel forced himself to relax his stance, letting his hijacked weapon hang from his hand at his side. He cleared his throat.

"Hello!"

The Beor didn't respond.

Daniel took a cautious step toward the creature. "My name is Daniel Jackson. Daniel," he repeated, pointing at his chest. "I'm from a planet called – "

A gunshot rang into the night and the Beor staggered backward. He let out an enraged growl and lunged forward. Two more bullets caught him, one in the chest and one in the head. He stumbled but continued forward. Then a very long, thick arrow stuck into his stomach and he stopped. The creature looked down at the arrow as if in curiosity, then fell to the ground and lay motionless. Daniel stared at it. Something came into view just beyond the creature and he swung around to see what it was. There stood a young man, joined shortly by Jack, Teal'c and Captain – or should it be doctor? – Carter. Daniel grinned. He noticed several large shapes emerge from the woods behind his teammates and his smile vanished. No one noticed in the dusk, and at their distance from him. Daniel pointed, unable to find words. The unknown young man whirled around suddenly and began firing arrows at the advancing Beors. Teal'c and Sam followed his lead and started depositing bullets and energy blasts into the creatures, while Jack ran to protect Daniel. The creatures came dangerously close, but those that weren't killed finally retreated. Jack frowned at Daniel when the clearing was calm again.

"You okay?"

Daniel nodded absently. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just, uh, just hurt my ankle a bit," he amended when Jack gave him a look. Jack nodded.

"Daniel, how many times before we left did I tell you – "

"I know. I'll stay in sight next time. I promise."

Jack seemed a little taken aback. "Good," he said simply when he finally replied.

Daniel smiled at him. This was one time he didn't mind hearing the words, I told you so and was simply grateful to be alive to hear them.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Starting Fresh, Part 4

Author: sgtat

Season: One

Related Episodes/Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I have no ownership in the Stargate franchise. If I did, I would not be writing fan fiction.

Characters: Sam Carter

Pairings: None

Category: Wumping and Team

Rating: T

Summary: Sam's been wounded.

She'd been so cold for so long now warmth had become the enemy, trying to lure Sam in so it could steal her breath. And breath was not coming easily.

It had only been a few hours. She remembered the beasts attacking, remembered pouring bullets into them and seeing little to no corresponding effect on their movements. Ezak shot one that had almost reached them, apparently killing it. He hadn't been fast enough to stop the beast that had reached her, though. It had lashed out at her like a bear, and she felt its claws rip through her uniform. And skin. She hadn't even registered landing on the ground several feet away.

It was strange. She'd barely noticed the wounds at first. It felt like when you fall and sin your knee. No big deal. Slap a band-aid on it and keep going. But she had found herself unable to move, the heat draining from her body like it was being sucked out. Apparently, in the confusion of the fire fight, nobody noticed that she was down at first. By the time they realized she'd been injured, she was shivering violently.

She had shivered while her team administered first aid to her left arm and shoulder. She shivered as Teal'c swept her up with greater gentleness than she could have thought possible in the huge warrior, carrying her back to Ezak's cabin. And she shivered as they hovered around her while Ezak went to get something, watching her anxiously and speaking words she couldn't quite follow.

Now, though, warmth was beginning to seep back into her nerves. She could feel herself relaxing and drifting off to sleep. She could hear a strangled noise coming from somewhere nearby and felt contact on her face in increasing measure. Finally someone slapped her. Hard.

Sam blinked, gasping for breath.

"Carter?"

She could just make out the outline of her CO's head...a very blurry outline. She tried to speak but didn't hear herself say anything.

"Carter, stay awake, alright? You couldn't breathe when you were drifting off."

Sam frowned. Had that strangled noise been her trying to breathe? She shuddered. It must have been bad for the Colonel to hit her.

Sam tried to reply but all that came out was an unintelligible mumble. She swallowed painfully and concentrated on relaxing her tense body without falling asleep.

The Colonel must have noticed her efforts because he gave her a pat on her good shoulder and moved away, leaving Teal'c in her view.

The Jaffa just stared at her, ready for action if he were needed.

Sam could hear the Colonel yelling at Daniel to get off his ankle, and remembered with a guilty jolt that Daniel had been hurt, too. She turned to Teal'c.

"Daniel?" She managed to croak out after several attempts.

The Jaffa spared a glance in Daniel's direction. "I believe that Daniel Jackson will recover more rapidly than yourself, Captain Carter. His injury is not as grievous."

Sam nodded sloppily. "Good." She closed her eyes. The warmth that had been returning to her body was now taking the numbness away, and she was beginning to feel the pain in her arm and shoulder.

"Captain Carter!"

Sam jerked her head and opened her eyes. Teal'c was frowning down at her.

"Do not fall asleep, Captain Carter. You must keep breathing."

Sam tried to smile at the Jaffa. Teal'c clasped his hands behind his back and continued to watch her. Sam had the sudden urge to giggle. Instead she coughed. Violently.

When her coughing subsided enough for her to think, Sam realized she was no longer laying down. The guys had pulled her into a sitting position while she hacked her lungs out. Her team. Sam blinked at Daniel, who was closest in her line of vision.

"Doctor," she gasped out in a hoarse whisper, "you should – be lying down."

Somewhere to her left the Colonel chuckled. "Don't worry about Daniel, Captain. He'll be alright."

Sam frowned. Didn't the Colonel realize that Daniel had been injured? She'd have to tell him.

"Sir. Doctor – Jackson. He's hurt. Ankle."

Silence. Sam frowned again.

"Sir."

"Yeah, I know, Carter," the Colonel interrupted her. "Daniel, why don't you go sit down?"

"I'm fine, Jack."

"Daniel. It'll be one less thing for Carter to worry about."

Daniel's face left Sam's field of vision after a pause and she blinked to try to adjust her focus to the far wall that was now in view. Good. The Colonel knew about Daniel's injury now and had made him rest. She'd done her duty.

"O'Neill. I believe we should return to Earth immediately. Captain Carter is not well."

"Yeah, Teal'c. We need to wait for Ezak. He's getting help."

"I'm fine," Sam mumbled and tried to get up. Two pairs of strong arms held her in place. She struggled a moment, upset by how weak her efforts were, before collapsing back onto the pillows.

Ezak chose that moment to return, along with several of his friends, all bearing bows and arrows. Ezak walked swiftly to Sam's side and opened a small container.

"I have brought medicine for her wounds," he explained to the Colonel and Teal'c. "It will stop the bleeding and dull the pain. She will be able to rest."

"And still breathe?" The Colonel asked harshly.

Ezak took a step back. "Yes. She will be fine. The medicine is very effective. Your healers will still have to help her recover; the wounds are deep. But she has already shown great strength in not losing consciousness earlier. I do not believe they will be fatal. But the longer we wait to apply the medication, the more likely that will be."

The Colonel seemed to consider the situation for a moment before nodding. Ezak stepped forward again ad began smearing a pasty liquid over Sam's shoulder and arm, where she knew she'd been injured.

Sam gasped. She managed to bite back a cry of pain and let out an unsatisfying grunt instead. Man, that stuff hurt.

"You all right there, Carter?"

Sam nodded tightly at her CO. "Fine, sir."

"Right."

Sam knew he didn't believe her, but at least he didn't say anything. Sam closed her eyes as her whole body began to ache and throb. Some pain killer.

Sam didn't realize Ezak was finished until he stood up and stepped away again. She opened her eyes. Her hands hurt. She looked down and realized she'd been clenching them in very tight fists. She tried to relax them but failed.

"Hey Carter, looks like you're not bleeding anymore," her commanding officer said cheerfully.

Not bleeding anymore? Had she still been bleeding? No wonder she felt so weak and out of it. Of course, she knew she couldn't have been bleeding much – it had been hours since she'd been injured. Hadn't it? Sam found that she had completely lost track of time. She was still trying to figure it out when Teal'c stepped into view, making her blink again. She realized she wasn't hurting anymore. Huh. Nice pain killer.

"Captain Carter. We are leaving now for the Stargate accompanied by many warriors of this world. They will protect us on our journey."

Sam nodded and started to sit up. Teal'c stopped her with one hand.

"I will carry you."

Before Sam could protest, Teal'c had her in his arms. Sam felt ridiculous.

"Teal'c – "

"Now, now, Carter," Colonel O'Neill stepped in before she could say anything. "Let the nice big Jaffa carry you. That's an order. Besides," he added, concern crossing his features, "you could use a break."

Sam groaned. She would never live this down. Never. But, on the other hand . . . Sam started feeling drowsy as Teal'c carried her. She had to admit that, the way she was feeling at the moment, being carried wasn't so bad. Her eyes fluttered shut and she opened them quickly. She couldn't fall asleep while those creatures were possibly still after them.

From her vantage point she could see a few of the native men escorting them down the hill toward the Stargate. The Colonel was up ahead, helping Daniel limp along, and Teal'c was carrying her. Maybe she could relax after all. Her team wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Her team. She'd had her doubts at first, but she really did think of them that way now. They still had some rough edges to work out, of course, but she knew the Colonel, Doctor and Jaffa would watch her back if anything happened on their short trip to the Gate.

Sam smiled as she closed her eyes. Finally sleep claimed her and this time, she didn't fight it.


End file.
